Read the full book on the history of vinegar, Vinegar, The Eternal Condiment available on Amazon! The vinagre de Jerez or sherry vinegar is a unique product of Jerez de la Frontera, a town in the Spanish province of Cádiz in the region of Andalusía. Like most of Europe, wine making in Spain extends back to Roman times, or perhaps … Read More
China’s Vinegar Culture: Making Chinese Vinegar
See part I on the history of Chinese vinegars here See part III on the “Four Famous Vinegars” of China here Read the full book on the history of vinegar, Vinegar, The Eternal Condiment available on Amazon! Like all vinegars, the basic path to vinegar is the fermentation of an alcoholic substance by vinegar bacteria. However, instead of using waste … Read More
China’s Vinegar Culture: A History of Vinegar in Ancient China
Read the full book on the history of vinegar, Vinegar, The Eternal Condiment available on Amazon! Like most things in China, vinegar has a long recorded history. The character for vinegar, 醋 or cù (pronounced ‘sooh’), is ubiquitous connoting both the condiment as well as a metaphor for a bitter life condition. Chinese civilization first arose primarily along the Yellow … Read More
The Global Trade in Vinegar 2015
A short overview of the global trade in vinegar in 2015 in a couple of graphs. First the exporters. Not surprising Italy is largest with a share of almost 50%, largely due to the popularity of balsamic. Spain has actually outpaced France and Germany, two traditional powerhouses, to become number three. Wine vinegar and sherry vinegar are a big part … Read More
Balsamic Vinegar’s Manufacturing Process
See part I on the history of balsamic and part II on the types of balsamic Balsamic vinegar’s manufacturing process depends heavily on the type of balsamic as mentioned in the previous post. While almost all varieties use wine vinegar, even the presence of grape must is not a given with generic balsamic vinegar or balsamic condiments. We will … Read More
Understanding the Types of Balsamic Vinegar
See the first post on the history of balsamic vinegar here As stated in our last post, a measure of the growth of the balsamic vinegar industry is that as late as 1987, only 3,000 bottles of balsamic vinegar were being produced per year. By 2002, that number had become 100,000 bottles. This represented an average annual growth rate of … Read More
A History of Balsamic Vinegar
Read the full book on the history of vinegar, Vinegar, The Eternal Condiment available on Amazon! Balsamic vinegar’s origins are obscure. Some assert they go back to the Roman Empire with fermentation of the grape must sapa. Others believe that, like butter, it may have existed but its true development came during the Middle Ages. The term ‘balsamic’ itself comes … Read More
Apple Cider Vinegar / Pineapple Vinegar from Cores & Rinds: Some Notes
Vinegar fermentation is becoming more of the rage everyday. Often overshadowed by other fermentations, vinegar is coming to its own as a new generation of homemakers and hobbyists eagerly make their own. This is great and I suggest everyone try it at least once. There are a couple of techniques that are common and popular I want to give … Read More
Malt Vinegar vs. Beer Vinegar: Understanding and Making Both
See more information on making malt vinegar here Also here are some detailed recipes for homemade malt vinegar Malt vinegar, condiment of the gods–at least with fish and chips. This revered condiment is enjoyed worldwide but primarily in the English speaking world: the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, etc.. Its dark color and characteristic aroma and taste make it … Read More
Making Vinegar at Home The Essential Guide Part II: Starting Your Fermentation
Also, see our Making Your Own Vinegar poster So you now have read Part I and both know what vinegar is made of as well as what it can be made from. “Doing is knowing” so the next step is to make vinegar on your own! In this part II, we will discuss the steps you will need to set … Read More